Worried that he would do more than just that, Bella flipped over onto her back and lifted herself onto an elbow, her other arm raised across her face as if to protect herself, eyes sparking to life with both fear and anger. It was that that made the beast hesitate, but then he grabbed the handle of the door and leaned in.
"I highly suggest you think about all of this," he said, lips twisted in disgust, "and maybe even think about everything you said—just for the sake of it." He turned to go, starting to close the door behind him, but Bella's noise of complaint stopped him.
"This is your answer?" she asked, slamming the flat of her hand on the ground beside her in frustration. "You're going to lock me in here like some misbehaving child?"
"Until you stop acting like one," he told her. "Though, maybe I'll keep you here for longer—just to be sure that you've thought everything through. Don't worry," he said when she opened her mouth to complain, "I'll make sure to send food and drink."
"This is ridiculous," Bella seethed, clenching her teeth.
"Think of yourself as a guest," he told her. "Only, you don't have the choice to leave. It's a really good opportunity to bond, of course. We may be strangers still, but we have yet to get to know each other." He smirked. "I hope your stay is a good one."
She stared at him as he turned to leave, then scrambled when she realized he was shutting the door after him. Just as she slammed against it, she heard a click. She looked down uncertainly at the knob and realized, much to her surprise, the bolt that had been there was before was no longer existent.
She had just been locked inside her own room.
Furious, she pounded on the door. Even though Kataros frightened her more than anything at the moment, she was desperate to get out. Especially with the knowledge that her father had been infected by the Northern wolves. She couldn't bear the thought of him turning into one of those monsters, and wanted him to avoid this world with all costs.
Even if it meant losing her own life in the process.
"Let me out!" she screamed, slamming her fists on the door. She kicked as hard as she could, but it wouldn't give. The only thing she was doing was making a nuisance of herself. But that wouldn't stop her. "Let me out!"
She turned around, trying to force a plan in mind, and spotted the balcony doors. Curious, she went to them and tried the handles. Sure enough, the doors popped open. She examined the height just as she had her first night, trying to estimate how high up she was, but she was unable to predict an accurate measurement, and she gave up, strolling back inside.
She went straight to the bed, grabbing sheets and blankets—even the canopy—and tore to the best of her ability. She tied knots at each end, connecting all pieces of fabric she could lay her hands on, tugging at them to be sure they would stay. After all, who wanted to fall down from such a high place?
A door opened, but not the door Bella was hoping as she glanced its way. Janine stepped from the closet, watching her with curious, frowning eyes. "What in the world are you doing?"
"I'm going to get out of here," she replied. Then she thought about what she had just said, and cringed. "You're not going to go tell anyone, are you?"
"I don't have to," she told her, raising her brows as Bella went back to her work. "You don't really think you can get out that way, do you? Unless you can fly, there's no way."
"It's better than nothing," she snapped, standing up and going over to the closet. She grabbed an armful of dresses, stopping in front of Janine. "Strong fabric?" When she nodded, Bella grunted satisfactorily and went back to the bed.
"You would have better luck trying to fly," Janine told her.
"I have to try something," Bella said, sighing and dropping her hands onto the mess of sheets and clothes in front of her. She glared up at Janine. "In case you haven't noticed, Kataros and I had a serious disagreement today."
"Oh, I noticed," Janine said. "The whole castle noticed." She sighed. "Bella, this isn't you-"
"Not you too!" Bella groaned, planting her face on the bed. "You don't know me—and I don't know you! Why do you people keep insisting that you do?"
"The Fae read people better than humans do," she told her. "I may seem like a stranger to you, since you've only just met me. But, for me, you're a friend."
She groaned again, and lifted her face. "I've only been here about three days—nights—whatever-" She glanced over her shoulder at the faerie. "You don't know me, so why are you so intent on helping me? Why do you want me alive?"
Bella thought about it for a moment, raising an arm before the faerie could speak. She was different was why—at least, that's what Kataros thought—but she was beginning to question it. She had just had a temper tantrum with a demon, which really showed just how humanly immature she was. She was just a girl. Nothing more.
Then why did she doubt herself?
"It's the castle," Janine insisted, almost as if she could read the girl's mind. Her eyes latched themselves to her, seeming to beg in a strange sort of way. "Don't let it change you, Bella. It's corrupting your thoughts. Don't surrender yourself to it."
She laughed harshly. "Suddenly it's the castle's fault? Alright then, blame the castle. It's the castle's fault I want out so badly. It's the castle's fault my father's going to turn into a beast. It's the castle's-"
"It's more than some simple castle!" Janine snapped, making her jump. "Everything that has happened here...all the emotions and events may as well be its support system. It's what gives it life. The castle is just as alive as you and I, Bella. You can feel it in that dining room, just as I'm sure you felt it when you first arrived."
"I thought that was just the past," Bella replied blankly, hardly blinking an eye. "Leftovers from other lives."
She nodded. "Yes, but what do you think keeps them that way?" She shook her head. "Most mistake it as ghosts. Really, it's just negative energy. The castle feeds on it, as it feeds on everything else, and so that energy is given a place to thrive."
"Are you saying that the castle is evil?" Bella asked suspiciously.
"No," she said with a small smile. "Think of it more as a child. It doesn't know everything that goes on, but it acts on instinct."
"So the castle is like a person?"
She sighed. "You're not listening-"
"You see, that's the point," Bella snapped. "I am listening, I just don't understand. Nothing makes sense anymore. Your kind doesn't make sense!" She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm tired of being so confused all the time." She sighed, lowering her hand. "I just want to go home."
But what if Kataros is right? her own invading thoughts asked. What if my going back destroys everything?
Clearing her throat, Bella went back to work.
Janine sighed, sitting on the bed beside her sloppy rope, setting a hand on her hair and hardly flinching when Bella gave her a suspicious glare. "I understand that this is all difficult for you-"
"It's more than difficult," Bella told her. "It's bloody impossible is what it is. Just a few days ago, you were all stories—nothing more." She smiled grimly as she tightened a knot. "Now look at me. I'm stuck in the middle of a bloody book." Unfortunately, as she had come to know, the bloody part wasn't just figuratively.
"We're real," Janine stated. "Whether you like it or not, we're all real."
"I think I figured that out by now," she replied. "But sometimes I would rather be in Oakland's sanatorium." When Janine frowned at her, she shook her head. "Never mind that...but, I really want to go back home, so that's exactly what I'm going to do." She stared out the doors, at the sky, which had a purple hue to it, very much like Thais's eyes, only darker. "I want to get started early, that way I can travel through the day. I've been there in the dark, and I really don't want to be again." She frowned. "I'll be slower without Mudo..."
Janine grabbed her shoulder, which made her jump, and she smiled sweetly. "You're upset, Bella. I get that, as I'm sure the others do too. You mustn't act out of fear, Bella. It'll only get you into more t
rouble than you already are."
"Oh, but it's my intention to get out of the trouble," she told her with a persistent stare. "And it's not fear that's motivating me; I'm not scared." She stared down at her progress. "I'm furious."
* * *
The sky had just began lighting up when Bella completed her rope. She had used every scrap of cloth that was in the room. Though, when she had asked Janine for more, she was only gifted a snide look and slamming doors. Then she had gone back to finishing her escape.
The only thing she hadn't used in her project had been her mother's gown. She just couldn't bring herself to ruin it again—even if Janine was able to mend such things. She didn't want to destroy her only memory of the woman, so she left it on the bed. Even if she was going to leave it there, and probably never return again, it still wasn't worth the risk—to her. Not only that, but she specifically remembered Janine's warning that she wouldn't be able to mend it again, and that made her even more reluctant to use it.
Bella examined her work carefully, tugging at each little knot to be sure it didn't fall apart. When she was satisfied, she took her makeshift rope and dragged it out onto the balcony, peeking over the edge as she judged where to put it. Each side looked the same height, so she supposed it really didn't matter. Before she decided where to put it, she peeked into the room, giving the gown on the bed one last long look.
She chose a spot in the right corner, tying the rope around one of the railings. Then she picked it up and hurled it over the edge, watching as it flew through the air. Instead of hitting the ground, as she hoped it would—since it seemed so long—it stopped just past halfway, which was still a very long way to go.
"Damn!" Bella shouted, smacking a fist at the railing and scraping her knuckles in the process. She leaned far over the edge, staring at the length of the rope, arms hanging limp as they swung, and her voice echoed through the air. "Damn."
How far up was that? Sure enough, she may break something if she jumped from the bottom of the rope. But would she die? If she fell at an odd angle, she was sure to snap her neck; but if she fell feet first, then maybe the only thing she would break would be a leg—or two. At that point, escaping would be pointless since she would have no way of walking. There was no way she could crawl through the forest without being eaten—or worse.
She shrugged and climbed over the edge.
At first she wasn't sure how to start. She had nowhere to put her feet, since the walls of the building were too smooth for footholds. At least, this side was. So she slowly lowered her upper body, clutching the railing tightly as she did so, and grabbed onto the edge of the balcony before lowering her legs into the open air.
Immediately, she nearly let go. She wasn't used to holding her own weight, especially hanging from a high point. But she kept her grip, forcing her hands to move from the ground of the balcony to the rope, clutching the fabric as tightly as she could. Once she had a good grip, she pressed the rope between her feet, instantly seeking any place to put them. It seemed a good place, since it made her feel like she had a better hold of her rope. Then she started her decent.
The progress was slow. She constantly had moments where she thought the rope was about to give, and she was sure it would at some point. Sometimes her own muscles strained, and she began shaking as she climbed down.
The sweat was no help at all, making Bella's palms slippery as she tried to maintain a firm hold, and her hair kept flying across her face in the wind and tickling her nose. Even her feet kept slipping back into open air.
Most times, she expected Kataros to pop out of nowhere and yank her back up to her room. Either him, or one of the others. Mostly, she pictured that large, horrid beast that had taken her father back to Ash. But no one showed up. Not even Janine.
It seemed forever, but she finally reached the bottom of the rope. Unfortunately, she was higher than she thought. Much higher.
"Oh, God," she said as she stared at the large space that separated herself from the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut and looked up at the balcony above her—at the perfectly stable ground high above her.
Of course, the thought of climbing back up was crossing her mind since it was obvious she would get much more than two broken legs if she let go of the rope. But she could barely move without slipping around and losing her hold. Pulling herself up proved pointless, as it did nothing but waste her strength.
She stared at her hands intensely, willing them to spontaneously gain strength and mechanically start pulling her up. Naturally, nothing happened, and she remained hanging from the bottom of her seemingly stable rope, which she was slowly starting to lose hope for.
"What do you think you're doing?" a voice echoed from somewhere down below. A full shout, Bella guessed, since it still sounded so far away.
She swung her head around, peering down the length of the wall, and spotted Kataros a ways from it looking up at her. His form was small from where she was, but he was still recognizable.
"Attempting a failed idea!" Bella shouted back to him. She stared back up at the balcony. "Rather, I was..."
"Get back to the balcony!" he shouted.
Scowling, she looked back down at him. "I would, but I'm a little stuck at the moment."
She saw his arms fly up into the air uselessly, as if he thought she was hopeless—though she was really just helpless—and he shouted, "Climb!"
"I can't!" she screamed back, growing frustrated. Obviously she would have tried that already.
He turned and seemed to be talking to something that wasn't there. Though, when Bella squinted, she found that she was beginning to see people mill about, some of them evolving out of nowhere. Some strolled out of the castle, staring up at her.
"I'm sending help up there now," he shouted up to her when he was done speaking. He sounded like he was laughing, which frustrated Bella even more than she already was, and she shot a glare down at him.
"You think this is a joke?" she asked.
He laughed, this time letting the noise carry out. "You got yourself into the mess. Don't blame me."
"Yeah, yeah," she snapped, sighing impatiently. "I should've stayed in my room."
"It would be better than the situation you're in now," he told her. "Help should be there any second now."
Bella considered some snarky reply that probably would have only earned her a chuckle, but before she could respond, she slid down a fraction of an inch, tensing and tightening her already painfully tight grip, and stared up at the balcony.
Suddenly seconds were beginning to feel like minutes.
"I don't think they'll make it!" Bella's hands were already sliding down the rope a little more at a time. If they hurried, she might be able to make it. That was, if they were as fast as they were supposed to be.
She glanced up at the balcony just as she felt a tug at her rope. At first she thought someone had finally made it and was trying to pull her up, but then it slid down the smallest bit, and she realized, fearfully, that her giant knot at the top was loosening.
"What," she started, cutting off with a scream when she lost a hold of the rope, and she slid down the last couple of feet before managing to catch herself.
"Hold on!" Kataros shouted. Bella heard him shouting some more, but it wasn't loud enough for her to hear. Most likely demanding to know why Bella wasn't receiving help yet. "Bella, I'm going to need you to hang on for a little longer. You can do that, can't you?"
"What else do you think I'm doing?" she roared back, gasping when her fingers slid around, and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Please, hurry!"
"Where are they?" she heard Kataros shout at someone. She tried to focus on what he was saying, but found it difficult when she felt the rope tug again before slipping a little more. "Bella!"
"It's slipping!" she screamed. She turned her head to look at him. "The rope is-" She cut off as it jerked a final time, and gasped when it slid down a little more.
Then it stuck.
"Bella," the demon shouted,
"can you hold on much longer? I'm gonna go up there myself."
She stared up at the top of the rope, refusing to take her eyes from it in fear of it betraying her. "I think-"
The rope fell, and her with it, jumping out of her grasp as she screamed. Her hair whirled around her head wildly, spreading out like wings, and she spun uncontrollably, trying to figure out which way the nearing ground was.
This is it, a gentle, soothing voice in the back of her head said. This is the answer. This is the way out.
She closed her eyes, waiting for the impact, waiting for her death to come. Just as she thought she was about to slam back first into the ground, arms slid under her, though that didn't stop the harsh impact.
Her back screamed, aching for immediate relief, and her head jolted around before settling. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into someone elses' white ones. Kataros, she realized. Kataros had just saved her life.
Again.
He looked nearly as pained as she did, his brows furrowing, and ugly lines appeared on his forehead. She felt herself lower and realized that he had fallen onto his knees, staring up at him as he slowly set her on the ground and collapsed next to her, out of breath.
Strange creatures were circled around them, watching the both of them anxiously. Even though Bella had already seen plenty of them, she couldn't help but feel in awe once more. They were all completely different from one another, though all the same. So humanly...inhuman. As beautiful as they were terrifying.
"Thank you," Bella croaked to Kataros, looking back into his white eyes, which were watching her brown ones carefully.
He managed a smile, and closed those eyes. "That took a lot of strength." Then his eyelids fluttered open. "I'm still upset with you. Even more so, with such an act as this."
She smiled back, then looked away, swallowing tears that betrayed her and slid down her face. Then she looked back at the demon. "I just want to go home."
Eyes pained, he took a deep breath and sat up, waving helping hands away. "I know you do, Bella, I really do. But you can't." He shook his head at her. "You can't."
Beauty's Beast- The Light Page 18